Despite that, he agreed to help crack the password, telling her: “Curious eyes never run dry in my experience.” Later, he asked her for more information to help the operation, adding: “No luck so far.”

The pair used the Jabber online chat service to plot the hack and took measures to cover Manning’s tracks as it unfolded, prosecutors allege.

CASE AGAINST HIM IN SWEDEN

Officials said the allegations made against him were due to expire under the country’s statute of limitations in August next year.

But his arrest means the investigation could be reopened after a request from an alleged victim.

Deputy chief prosecutor Eva-Marie Persson said: “We will now examine the matter to determine how we proceed. The preliminary investigation has therefore not been resumed yet and we do not know today whether it will happen. We cannot promise any timetable for when decisions will be made.”

Assange was accused of attacking a woman after they met at a WikiLeaks conference in Stockholm in 2010. She alleged that Assange had unprotected sex with her while she was asleep even though she had refused him repeatedly.

The case was dropped in May 2017 after the director of public prosecutions ruled it impossible to proceed while he was under Ecuador’s protection.

But yesterday, the woman’s lawyer Elisabeth Massi Fritz piled pressure on prosecutors, saying: “No rape victim should have to wait nine years to see justice be served

Diane Abbott also defended Assange yesterday too in the Commons.

She told Radio 4 this morning: “We all know what this is about. It’s not about the rape charges, as serious as they are, it’s about WikiLeaks.

He was “a whistleblower” and his leaks of thousands of unredacted documents and state secrets were “public interest” she said, and charges were never brought against him for the rape and sexual assault allegations.

Theresa May said she believed all MPs would welcome his arrest.

She said: “This goes to show that in the United Kingdom, no one is above the law.”

Shadow Home Secretary Diane Abbott also questioned the US government’s motivessupplied by Pixel8000

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Assange took refuge at the embassy in 2012 to avoid being extradited to Sweden, where authorities wanted to question him as part of a sexual assault investigation. Today one of his accusers demanded the case be reopened.

Scotland Yard earlier confirmed he is being held on behalf of the US authorities – where he is wanted for espionage – as well as breaching his bail conditions in Britain.

America’s involvement raises further questions over the forthcoming battle to be had on his extradition – as his lawyers fear he will face the death penalty if sent to the US.